Warning Signals: Signature View Apartments at Risk of Collapse, RWA Urges DDA Action

Residents of Signature View Apartments in Delhi raised the alarm over four unstable blocks and demanded DDA action for safe evacuation and rent support. Legal battle looms.

Residents of Signature View Apartments in northwest Delhi have sounded an alarm, notifying the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) about the unstable state of four blocks within the complex. These blocks, labelled D, E, I, and L, were highlighted in an IIT Delhi report, emphasising their urgent need for evacuation and dismantling.

At a recent meeting between the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) and DDA, the RWA president, Amrendra Kumar Rakesh, stressed the critical condition of these blocks and demanded swift action. Rakesh urged the DDA to facilitate the safe relocation of residents, mainly from blocks D and E, which are deemed at risk of collapsing.

In response, the RWA proposed a compromise to the DDA, suggesting immediate rent payments for the occupants of the vulnerable blocks to speed up the evacuation process. Rakesh clarified that most residents are willing to vacate if this demand is met, pledging not to pursue legal action or support ongoing petitions against the DDA.

However, tensions rose as the DDA insisted on full vacation of all 336 flats before initiating rent payments. The RWA countered, citing the impracticality of coordinating all owners simultaneously and proposed a 75% vacation clause to expedite the process.

Amidst this standoff, nine apartment residents sought legal recourse by moving the Delhi High Court and securing a stay order against further DDA action. Consequently, the matter is now under the court's jurisdiction. Also, the RWA emphasised that 100 flats are already vacant, with 210 owners consenting to evacuation by Thursday.